Pastels and Leather
by eponnia
Summary: Modern AU. Rapunzel sneaks out to go to The Princes rock band concert when the famous brothers' tour comes to their hometown. [2014 filmverse Rapunzel's Prince/Rapunzel]
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first **_**Into the Woods**_** and first Rapunzel's Prince/Rapunzel fic. **

**When I heard of all the changes being made to the movie, I was skeptical of Rapunzel surviving (because it gives less weight to the Witch's decision in **_**The Last Midnight**_**) and also her prince somehow being a good guy. But then I saw the film and Mackenzie and Billy were so adorable together I couldn't help but ship them. **

**I have decided to names Rapunzel's Prince James, and Cinderella's Prince Nicholas. **

* * *

><p>She had never done anything remotely like this in her entire life.<p>

Rapunzel gave her money to the man behind the counter who was too distracted to notice her hands shaking. She thanked him as he handed her a ticket, but he was already looking over her head to the person in line behind her. She clutched her ticket between trembling fingers and went inside the building.

If the sidewalk and parking lot outside had been loud, it was nothing compared to the interior of the building. The lobby was crowded with people and music blasted through speakers, and she was swept by the crowd through the auditorium's lobby. For a moment, she found it difficult to breathe, but tried to make herself relax by humming the familiar tune that always calmed her.

With all the noise, however, she couldn't even hear herself, and her anxiety went up another couple of levels.

Long braid swinging around her hips, Rapunzel tried singing out loud. But the music and crowds were so much she still could not hear herself. Body tensing, she considered finding a bathroom but knew it would be just as packed. Spying an exit sign, she weaved her way through the crowd and eventually making it to the door, pushing it open and stepping into the cold night.

As the door shut behind her, she tried singing the melody under her breath, relief coursing through her veins when she could clearly hear her shaking voice. She leaned against the concrete wall of the building as a shiver ran through her slender frame, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Are you alright?"

She gasped, snapping her head forward to see a man only a couple years older than herself standing a few feet away. a lit cigarette held loosely in his right hand. She felt she knew him from somewhere, but couldn't quite place him.

"I... I'm getting there."

"Do you need to sit down or something? Do you want water? You look really pale."

"I think I'm okay. I just needed a break from everything inside." Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down at her ballet flats as a police siren began to wail on the street off the parking lot. After a moment, he spoke.

"I, uh, heard you singing. You have a really good voice."

"Thank you," she said, cheeks becoming red again. Her gaze fell on his cigarette, lazy spirals of smoke curling from the end.

"Shit. Sorry, do you want a cigarette?"

Her eyes snapped up to meet his, for she had been around few people who cursed. She knew swear words, but being homeschooled her entire life and currently taking online college courses meant she didn't have much exposure to people other than her adoptive mother and her voice instructor.

He held out the pack of cigarettes to her, but she shook her head.

"Thanks, but I don't smoke." She felt the need to explain as he pocketed the pack, adding, "I'm a singer, so I stay away from smoking."

He immediately dropped his own cigarette and ground it into the sidewalk with the toe of his boot. "What do you sing?"

"Classical. I've been looking into opera over the past couple of years."

"Damn." Her eyes widened as he gave her an appreciate whistle. "You must be a legit singer then."

She started to respond, but jumped slightly as a door slammed open further down the wall and a man in black wearing a headset microphone yelled out to her companion. "Five minutes until you go on, James!"

"I'll be right there!" the young man standing before her called back as her eyes widened and the pieces fell into place.

"You're James Princeton."

"Yep."

"I don't know how I didn't recognize you," she admitted, blushing once more. "I listen to your music all the time..."

"It's okay," he said with a smile. "Look, I've got to go to get ready for the performance, but is it okay if I find you afterwards?" She nodded. "Come to the stage door. It'll be packed, but I'll find you."

"Okay," she said softly. "Break a leg tonight."

"Thanks." He turned with a smile and walked away as she watched him; he paused at the door to give her a small wave, which she returned, and he went inside.

Rapunzel looked down at the ticket still in her hand, fingering her braid with her other hand. She hummed to herself again, took a deep breath, and pulled open the door.

* * *

><p>The crowd roared as James and his brother Nicholas came onstage. Rapunzel watched as they waved to the crowd, pulling the straps of their electric guitars over their heads; the room quieted for a moment as the brothers looked at each other. When the first harsh chord swept around the huge auditorium, the masses erupted.<p>

Rapunzel watched as James, wearing a tight black T shirt under a studded leather jacket, looked around the seats, squinting slightly as he peered past the lights. She hoped that he was looking for her, but knew she was too far back for him to see. His face fell slightly when he didn't find what he was looking for. He returned his attention to his guitar just before his brother began the low intro for one of their most famous songs, the crowd cheering in response.

Rapunzel heard Nicholas singing, but her focus stayed on the younger of the two. She had only seen two images of him on her The Princes CD case; she tried looking him up once, but the internet at home was limited at best and she still had an old flip phone because her mother thought she didn't need an upgrade.

Having little other entertainment, Rapunzel had listened to The Princes album until her CD player scratched it from playing so many times. She only played it when her mother was out of the house - which wasn't often - because her mother didn't approve of rock music. Rapunzel surprised herself by enjoying the genre, or it might just have been The Princes; she normally only listened to classical music on her mother's old records.

Seeing the tattooed people around her with Smart phones - and weren't those called iPads? - in revealing clothing and hair dyed every shade of the rainbow reminded her just how sheltered she was.

James started singing, joining Nicholas, and Rapunzel marveled at the difference between his voice on her CD and hearing it live. His voice had a raspy edge to it - probably from smoking, she thought - but he had a good, warm tone that stood out. His brother's was more raspy and a hint of a nasally quality, but his voice was not cringe-worthy.

The cymbals crashed, the bass shook the floor, and the crowd screamed.

* * *

><p>Rapunzel pulled her thin pink cardigan tighter around her shivering frame as a sharp wind blew through the crowd waiting outside the stage door. The wind tugged at her long braid, hitting the girl crammed beside her, and Rapunzel apologized as she pulled her hair over her shoulder.<p>

She looked up as the people closest to the stage door started calling out the brothers' names. Rapunzel tried to peer over the crowd, catching only a glimpse of what she thought was James' blond hair. With a sigh, she brushed a curl out of her eyes.

"Hey! There you are!"

Rapunzel saw James on the other side of the metal crowd control barrier as the people around her pushed their way towards him, shoving pens and papers in his face. He signed them without looking, striking eyes focused on Rapunzel as she took a step forward.

"How are you doing? Did you survive the concert?"

She nodded with a smile. "I'm better. You did a really good job, by the way."

"Thanks." The girls around her sighed as James smiled before looking back towards the stage door. "Hey! Nicholas! Over here!"

Though some members of the crowd shouted his name, James' brother came over, and Rapunzel was faced with the more famous of the two.

"This is my brother, Nicholas," James explained. "This is..."

"Rapunzel." She extended a hand, expecting a handshake, but was surprised when he kissed the back of her hands as the girls around her sighed enviously.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Nicholas said with a smile as his eyes did a quick scan of her slender frame. "I must say, you have a very interesting... name."

James glared at his brother as she spoke. "I'm told I'm named after the plant my mother craved when she was carrying me."

"Oh." Rapunzel could already see a glimmer of boredom in his eyes. "Well, it was nice to meet you."

"You, too." He left with a wink, turning as the people further down the metal barrier yelled his name.

"I should probably keep going down the line, but..." James ran a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to see if you were alright."

"Thank you."

"Nice hair, by the way," he said as he turned, caught his foot on the crowd control barrier, and awkwardly fell onto the sidewalk.

"Are you alright?" Rapunzel asked, leaning against the barrier as he got to his feet.

"I'm fine," he said quickly, adjusting his leather jacket.

Rapunzel tried to hide her smile, not wanting to embarrass him. "Well, if you're alright..."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be checking on you," he said with mock indignation, and the corner of her mouth turned up. Just then, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"I have to get home," she explained as she turned off the alarm. "My mother will kill me if she catches me sneaking in this late..." _Or sneaking in at all_, she added in her head. "It was lovely to meet you. Again, good job during the concert."

"Thanks. See you."

"See you."

She looked back over her shoulder three times while walking to the bus station.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I must say, it's very interesting writing Rapunzel going out to visit her prince, instead of the other way around. **

* * *

><p>"One ticket, please."<p>

The man behind the counter, still as distracted as the night before, slid the ticket across the counter. "Next."

She made her way through the crowd in the foyer to the same exit door and slipped out. Rapunzel buttoned up her white coat, the soft pink scarf spilling out at her throat as she scanned the sidewalk. _He's probably still backstage_, she told herself. But her resolve was starting to shake as she stood alone; taking a deep breath, she began to sing again.

Hope blossomed in her chest as the door further down the wall opened, and her descant trailed off into a sigh as a now-familiar figure stepped out.

"You came back!" James called as he approached her, and she couldn't help but return his smile. "I heard you singing inside the door," he said as he stood in front of her.

"Really? I wasn't trying to project or-"

She blushed as he added quickly, "I mean, it was only a bit. But your voice is beautiful."

"Thank you." Her cheeks turned red, and she looked down to adjust her scarf.

"So you said you sing opera?"

She met his gaze. "Well, only during the last couple of years. And I'm not a professional. I only work on it with my voice instructor or at home."

"You sound good enough to me to be a professional."

"Thank you," Rapunzel said, wondering if she would blush the entire time they talked. "But my focus is more on classical music."

"I have to say, I don't know much about opera or classical music," James admitted. "What composers do you sing?"

"Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, Hyden, Vivaldi, Bach..."

"I've heard of Beethoven and Mozart," he offered just as the door down the wall slammed open.

"Five minutes, Princeton!" the man with the microphone headset called.

"I'll be back in a minute!" James turned to Rapunzel. "You're coming to watch the show tonight, right?" At her nod, he continued. "Can I see you again afterwards at the stage door?"

She bit her lip. "There's a chance my mother might come home tonight, and I don't want to get caught sneaking in really late. I'm planning on leaving right after the concert."

"What, she won't let you out of the house for two nights?" he jokingly asked.

"Exactly." James' smirk dropped at Rapunzel's serious expression.

"Your mother sounds like a b-" James cleared his throat. "Well, uh, there's something I was meaning to ask you-"

The door slammed open, and Rapunzel saw Nicholas step out. "James! We're almost on!"

"One minute!" James turned back to her. "Do you want to go out? Like to coffee?"

"You can chat her up later! Come on!" Nicholas yelled.

"Yes," she said, deciding to be impulsive for once in her life.

"Could you possibly stay for a minute or two after to figure out details?"

"James! You're on now!" the man with the microphone headset yelled, replacing Nicholas at the door.

"Yes. Now go. You have a concert to perform," Rapunzel said with a smile.

James jogged down the sidewalk, looking back at her for a split second before the man with the headset pulled him inside and slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p>Rapunzel left the concert early to make it to the stage door right at the front of the barrier. She couldn't help but glance at her phone every so often, the slip of paper held tightly in her other hand.<p>

The crowd that had gathered around her nearly deafened her when the brothers came out the door. Nicholas began to greet fans, but James walked straight to Rapunzel.

"Here," she said, handing the piece of paper to him. "I'm sorry, but I've really got to go..."

"It's fine. Get home safe."

"Thanks. See you."

"See you."

Rapunzel ignored the envious stares of the people around her and ran to the bus station.

* * *

><p>She watched out her bedroom window as her mother pulled out of the driveway and drove away down the street. The moment the car disappeared from view, Rapunzel ran down the stairs and out the front door, purse swinging on her elbow as she locked the front door behind her.<p>

As she hurried down the street towards the place she had told James to meet the next block down, she hoped that he would still be there and understand why she was fifteen minutes late. Rapunzel knew she couldn't leave the house without telling her mother where she was going. Her mother was not the type to encourage her daughter to date.

Rapunzel was not the type to date, but she also didn't want to stay holed up at home forever.

"Rapunzel!" James said, standing quickly at a small table in the corner as she entered the bakery and coffee shop blend, the door creaking as she pushed it open. As he stood, however, he hit his knee hard on the edge of the table and cringed, cursing under his breath.

"James! Sit, please," she said, hurrying to his table. "Are you alright?"

"I'll survive," he said, massaging his knee as she sat down.

"Is this going to be a habit with you?" she teased with a smile. "You falling or hurting yourself every time we meet?"

"It's been happening my whole life," he admitted. "I'm more prone to accidents than my brother."

"By the way, I am so sorry I'm late," she said earnestly. "My mother left later than I expected, and I couldn't come until she was out of the house."

"I understand," he said, and she gave him a grateful smile.

The woman in the green apron with the messy bun at the cash register smiled at them as they approached the counter. "What can I get you?"

James gestured to Rapunzel to order first, and she smiled at the woman. "One blackberry scone and a chamomile tea, please."

"I'll have a black coffee and a cinnamon roll."

"That will be seven thirty five," the woman said. Rapunzel started to pull out her wallet, but James put a hand on her arm.

"I'll pay."

As the employee took James' money, Rapunzel watched as the other woman bit her lip. "You wouldn't happen to be James Princeton, would you?"

"I am," he said with an easy smile.

"I went to your concert last night," the woman admitted. "You and your brother are very talented." She glanced at Rapunzel. "You're lucky, miss."

Rapunzel blushed, glancing at James, who also looked embarrassed.

"Your orders will be brought to your table shortly," the woman said.

"Thank you."

Rapunzel fiddled with her braid as they went back to their table in the corner. "Can I ask you a question?" James said as they sat across from each other.

"Of course."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why have you kept your hair so long?"

"I just never cut it. I've thought about it recently, though."

"I mean, I like it long," he said quickly. She turned red once again, wondering how many times a person could blush within two minutes. "But what made you start thinking about cutting it? I'm just wondering..."

Rapunzel wondered if her cheeks kept turning pink because she wasn't used to receiving compliments from anyone other than her mother or if she had caught a fever. "It's a hassle to take care of."

"That makes sense."

"And it's kind of heavy. It would be strange, though, not to carry the weight of it."

"I can imagine." James took a drink from his coffee as Rapunzel picked at her scone, trying desperately to think of something to say, and was grateful when he spoke. "So, who's your favorite classical composer?"

"Bach is difficult to sing, but it's a good challenge," Rapunzel said as the woman who had been at the cash register came to their table with a tray.

"One cinnamon roll, one blackberry scone, a black coffee, and a chamomile tea."

"Thank you," Rapunzel and James said together, and she fought another blush as the woman placed their orders on the table.

"Enjoy."

"Well, I should say that none of the famous composers write simple music. But I love Handel. I'm sure you've heard _The Hallelujah Chorus_?"

James' brow furrowed for a moment. "How does it go again?"

As she began to hum the opening lines, he watched her intently; she sang the next stanza, marking her voice as not to disturb the other patrons in the bakery. When she finished that phrase, she stopped singing, noticing some people around her starting to watch. She looked down at her untouched scone, breaking off a piece.

"You're really good," he said in a low voice, and, as she predicted, her cheeks flushed.

"Thanks." She took a sip of her tea and asked, "So what music do you listen to?"

"Rock, for obvious reasons. Especially Elvis. Queen as well. I also like the Beatles, and sometimes pop music. And, uh, recently I've actually been looking into classical music." He glanced at her before dropping his gaze to his coffee.

The corner of her mouth tugged up. "That's wonderful."

He returned her smile. "So what music do you listen to?"

"Classical and opera on my mother's old records. Your albums," she admitted, "and-"

"Wait, did you say _records_?" James asked, confused. "Like on a record player?"

"Yes."

"Wow. I didn't know anyone still had those."

"Well, I still have a flip phone," Rapunzel said, pulling the device out of her purse and setting it down in the middle of the table.

"I haven't seen one of these in years," he said, picking up the phone and opening it. "Is this your mother?" he asked, looking at the screen saver.

"Yes." She finished her tea as he leaned forward, forearms resting on the table top.

"Hey, is it okay with you if we exchange numbers?"

"Sure." After entering their information in each other's phones, they returned the two devices. Rapunzel tried not to read into the fact that their fingers brushed.

"Can I walk you home?" James asked, empty mugs and plates before them.

Rapunzel looked at the time. "My mother said she'd be back around five. We still have some time. If we hurry, we should make it."

* * *

><p>"I enjoyed today," Rapunzel said as they walked up the street to her house.<p>

"Me too." James shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "So, uh, was today a date?" When she looked up at him, he added quickly, "If you don't want it to be, it's okay."

"I'm okay with calling it a date," she said softly, looking down at her gray flats. "I've never been on a date before, to be honest."

"Really?" She lifted her head to see him giving her a surprised look. "I can't imagine you've never been asked out before."

"I don't leave the house that much," she admitted. "I was homeschooled, and my mother got me to take online courses at the community college in town."

"Then I'm going to assume you didn't tell her you came to the concert."

"Of course not. I'm just lucky she didn't catch me sneaking back in." She stopped at the wrought iron fence in front of her house, going to the keypad.

"Hey, Rapunzel?"

She met his striking eyes, now serious, as he sighed. She heard a car at the far end of the road, but was only focused on James.

"I just wanted to tell you, I really liked being with you."

"Me too."

"But the tour is leaving tomorrow." He reached out to take one of her hands in his. "I wanted to do this before I left."

James' gray eyes were almost piercing her soul and he tilted his head to slowly press his lips to hers. She barely heard the car's engine stop close by.

It was her first kiss, and she paid no attention to the car door slamming nearby.

"Step away from my daughter!"

Rapunzel and James broke apart as her mother spoke, the pair turning to face the older woman. Rapunzel's heart leapt in her throat as her mother marched over and pulled her daughter away from James, who attempted to keep his hold on her hand before her mother yanked her away.

"Mother, please!"

"How long have the two of you been seeing each other?" her mother demanded of her daughter, gripping Rapunzel's arm. When the blonde hesitated, her mother shook her as Rapunzel winced. "Tell me!"

"Only three days," James said. "I assure you, ma'am, I respect your daughter-"

"No, you don't," her mother snarled, whirling towards him and backing him against the fence. "You're like all men. You take what you want and then leave the poor girl in pieces! Wolves, the lot of you!"

"Mother-"

"I'm not going to hurt her!" James exclaimed as Rapunzel's mother began fishing through her purse. "Of anything, it's you who is setting her up to break by not letting her have any experiences-"

"Enough!"

Suddenly her mother was spraying pepper spray directly in his eyes. He tried to duck away, crying out, but she followed his movements as Rapunzel pulled on her mother's arm.

"Stop! You're going to blind him!"

"Good!" her mother responded cruelly as James fell to his knees, groaning and covering his eyes with his hands. Only then did Rapunzel's mother stop spraying. Rapunzel wrenched her arm from her mother's hold and knelt before James, cradling his face in her hands as his face contorted in pain.

"It's okay, it's okay," she said in a shaking voice. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled out her phone and dialed 911.


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: You know, this was originally supposed to be a one-shot…**

* * *

><p>"I got you a cinnamon roll."<p>

"Rapunzel?" James turned his head towards the sound of her voice as he sat in the hospital bed, a bandage secured over his eyes. Only a small lamp illumined the room as she set the brown paper bag from the bakery on the small table and took the hand he lifted.

"I'm here," she said softly, clasping his hand.

"I was hoping you would come, but I wasn't sure if you were going to be able to."

Rapunzel sighed. "All that matters is I'm here now."

"Did your mother do anything to you? Did she hurt you or-"

"Shhh," Rapunzel said, smoothing his hair back from his forehead with one hand while still clasping his hand with the other. "It's you we need to worry about."

"Rapunzel..."

She sighed. "I am no longer living with my mother."

"You left?"

"Not exactly." She fingered the ends of her now-shoulder length hair, missing the weight of her long braid.

"What happened?"

"Long story short, she threw me out."

"Do you have anywhere to go?" he asked, holding her hand tighter.

"I'm thinking about applying for a job at the bakery-"

"Do you have a place to live?" James asked firmly.

She hesitated. "I was going to look into a shelter or something-"

"Absolutely not."

"Miss, your visiting time is up," the nurse said as she entered the room.

"Rapunzel, find Nicholas and talk to him. Tell him what happened," James said, gripping her hand.

"Mr. Princeton, you need to relax," the nurse ordered.

"I'll find him," Rapunzel promised, releasing his hand as the nurse gave her a meaningful look.

Rapunzel found her way back to the crowded waiting room, twisting a strand of hair nervously between her fingers as she found Nicholas talking to a man and a woman by the front desk, along with some other people she assumed to be publicists and employees involved with The Princes tour. Eyes widening, she seriously considered turning around and not approaching them, but Nicholas saw her and strode towards her.

"How is he?"

Rapunzel could see his sincerity, despite the carefree facade he gave to the media as the couple and the tour people followed. She took them in, eyes wide and starting to become nervous. "He seems to be doing alright. I was able to talk to him for a minute or so but the nurse had me leave."

"Can you give us a minute?" Nicholas said to the group behind him. The tour employees retreated, but the couple she assumed were Mr. and Mrs. Princeton stayed.

"You cut your hair," Nicholas commented as his parents exchanged looks.

"Not to be rude, dear, but who are you?"

"James' new girlfriend," Nicholas told his mother nonchalantly as Rapunzel hesitated. She smiled at him before extending a hand to his mother.

"I'm Rapunzel. It's very nice to meet you." As she shook the woman's hand, the man beside her spoke.

"I just wish we could have met you under better circumstances," he said. "I'm Daniel Princeton, and this is my wife, Anna."

"So you were there when my son was attacked?"

Rapunzel cringed inwardly at Mrs. Princeton's question. "Yes. It was my mother, actually." She turned red with shame as Daniel and Anna exchanged another glance. "James was walking me home from our... date, and we... kissed. My mother returned home early and started yelling. I tried to stop her but then James angered her and..." Tears pricked at her eyes. "I didn't want this to happen. Please believe me."

"Of course we do, dear," Mrs. Princeton said, expression softening.

"Nicholas," Rapunzel said, blinking rapidly to keep her tears from falling, "when I was talking to James, he told me to find you." Nicholas started to respond, but she continued, fingers going to her short hair again. "After the ambulance picked up James, my mother..." Rapunzel swallowed hard. "She told me that if I went to the hospital after him, I was not allowed to return home."

"Oh, my dear," Mrs. Princeton said.

"I'm going to apply for a job in the next couple of days, but I don't have a place to stay tonight. I was thinking about a shelter or-"

"You're not staying in a homeless shelter," Mrs. Princeton said firmly. "Do you have any family or friends you can stay with?" When Rapunzel shook her head, the older woman put her hands on her hips. "We'll figure something out, dear."

* * *

><p>"Please close every blind and make sure every light is off," James said, sitting on the couch in his apartment and removing his sunglasses only to cover his face with his hands.<p>

Mr. Princeton and Nicholas went to do his bidding as Mrs. Princeton stood from the couch. "I'll get a wet cloth for your eyes," Mrs. Princeton said, going into the kitchen.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Rapunzel asked, closing the front window blind behind the couch before sitting down with James.

"Yes, actually," he said. "Could you tell how you convinced the hospital to let you visit me?"

Rapunzel bit her lip as Mrs. Princeton called from the kitchen. "James, do you have any hand towels?"

"Check the bathroom or the hall closet." As Mrs. Princeton left the room, he added, "I thought only family were allowed in."

Rapunzel hesitated as Mr. Princeton came into the living room with Nicholas, who said, "I'm going to step out to make the call."

"_The_ call?" Mr. Princeton asked.

"We have to postpone the tour."

"Can't you continue on your own?" Mrs. Princeton inquired as she went to the kitchen.

"As much as I would like to say yes," Nicholas replied, "the show is built around the two of us. He can barely see."

"The doctor said I'd be better in a few days," James offered.

"You shouldn't take a chance, especially on something important as this," Mr. Princeton said.

"Right." Nicholas went out the front door as Mrs. Princeton turned on the sink faucet.

"So how did you get in?" James asked, lowering his hands from his face and opening his eyes experimentally; he squeezed them shut instantly, cursing. His mother approached and gave him the damp wash cloth, which he gratefully pressed to his eyes.

"Perhaps we could continue this conversation later," Rapunzel said nervously, seeing Mrs. Princeton watching them over her shoulder as she went back into the kitchen. "With a bit more privacy?"

"Of course," he said, bringing one hand to his face while the other blindly reached for her; she assumed he had been aiming for her knee, but his hand landed on her upper thigh. She snapped her legs close involuntarily, and he immediately withdrew his hand.

He squinted at her, holding up both hands in mock defense. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean-"

"What are you doing to that poor girl?" Rapunzel looked up to see Mr. Princeton watching them with a smirk, and she flushed.

"It was unintentional, I swear," James explained.

"Well, I have to go back to work. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Mr. Princeton went to the door. "It was nice to meet you, Rapunzel."

"You too."

As Mr. Princeton opened the door, he called to his wife, "Anna? Are you coming?"

"Is Nicholas still on the phone?" James asked as his father opened the door, and Nicholas stepped in. "Speak of the devil..."

"The tour is officially postponed until further notice," Nicholas explained. "Well, I have to go and deal with the media. See you later."

"Thanks for doing that," James said.

"It gets my face in the papers more," Nicholas said. "We could even make the news! Be gentle with him," he said to Rapunzel with a wink as he left.

"Call me if anything changes or if you need anything," Mrs. Princeton said. "Take good care of him, Rapunzel."

"I will."

Rapunzel ran a hand through her hair, still not used to the short length as Anna and Daniel left. As the door shut behind them, James looked at her, finally able to open his eyes with whites still red, blinking at her with a surprised expression, and she sighed.

"I told the hospital I was your... your girlfriend." She began to twist another strand of hair around her finger as she continued. "And just let you know, Nicholas told your parents that I was your girlfriend too when I met them." She tried to keep her voice from shaking. "But of course, if you don't-"

"I honestly-"

She dropped her gaze to her lap. "I mean, we've only know each other for three days. And having coffee once isn't enough to officially be dating. And you're dealing with this because of me so I understand if you don't want to continue seeing me-"

"Rapunzel."

Now forcibly separated from her mother, she didn't want to lose him. But she also didn't want to drag James into a relationship if he didn't want to join her. Would he think that she was only after him for his fame? But what did she know? She was the one who had been hidden away her entire life with little social interaction. She knew nothing about dating or relationships or romance. She was probably ruining everything–

Rapunzel felt his fingertips under her chin, and she held her breath as he lifted her chin. Though his eyes were still red, they still captured her attention as they stared at each other.

"I would like to continue seeing you," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Very much so, if that's alright with you."

"Yes," she breathed.

His hand moved to her cheek as their lips met, and her eyelids fluttered closed as he pulled back ever so slightly.

"Does that convince you?" he said, the corner of his mouth tugging up as she met his gaze. She nodded and kissed him again, and he cupped the back of her head gently to deepen the kiss, fingers running lightly through her hair as they broke apart.

"By the way," he said, resting his forehead against hers with a smile, "I like your haircut."

She gave a breathless laugh even as tears pricked her eyes, and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him once more.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know some people might say that my version of the Princes' parents don't seem like the type of people to raise their sons to be charming but not sincere, but that's how Mr. and Mrs. Princeton turned out. Honestly, they aren't that important at all to the overall story, so I'm leaving them as they are.<strong>

**Thanks for reading! There will be a sequel one-shot coming soon for _Pastels and Leather_. Stay tuned!**


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